Attention bench players...you guys need to step it up!

[Mitch McConnell]

I made a comment on the Rice game thread that if this team doesn't receive great production from Nyakundi and Dia every night, it's going to be in trouble.

This has been a consistent problem for this team throughout the season....that there really hasn't been a consistent third scorer. Sometimes, it's Walker or Mangrum or the freshman PG. I guess we can live with that rotation as long as one of them is stepping up each game.

Nonetheless, Haynes, Clinkscales are the biggest culprits in this lack of production from the bench. IMO, Pats gets a pass because he's still trying to figure it out and may not for the season. My main concern is that if Doherty has to keep Dia and Nyakundi on the floor for 35+ minutes, they're going to be gassed by the end of the season.

I realize that SMU has 3 regular season games and at least 1 more tournament game remaining. But this upcoming trip out east is going to be important for somebody to grow up and play. Your bench is so invaluable when you go on the road. I think this team has gotten away with not having any decent depth for this deep into the season. Usually, this is the time when teams crash and burn because starters have logged so many minutes and gotten beat up so bad, they're plum tuckered out.

If the theory is they're not embracing what is taught, then they're either selfish or stupid because it looks like everybody else is on board. If the Mustangs have any postseason chance, everybody on that roster NEEDS TO GET IT.

[ponyte]

It is hard to imagine any player suddenly changing his game and becoming a consistent scorer this late in the season. It is an issue more of depth than talent. We have several players that are asked to play out of position during a game. Hard to be in an unfamiliar position and turn up the offensive production.

I wish we could find a consistent 3rd scorer but for now, we are stuck with what has gotten us this far.

[PonyKai]

Interesting to note a comment by Richie Phillips last night that SMU was able to "steal" 1:30 in the first half sitting Dia, Nuk, and JFrog without having their lead diminished even a single point. I think Rice went cold or we stepped up our D, but his point remains the same. Richie said that the idea of being able to sit those three, earlier in the year, for that long, without negative consequences, would be unheard of.

Call me uninformed, because I am, but maybe we're getting contributions in other ways than the stat sheet, or at the very least, tangible progress from the reserves.

[hoopmanx]

Interesting to note a comment by Richie Phillips last night that SMU was able to "steal" 1:30 in the first half sitting Dia, Nuk, and JFrog without having their lead diminished even a single point. I think Rice went cold or we stepped up our D, but his point remains the same. Richie said that the idea of being able to sit those three, earlier in the year, for that long, without negative consequences, would be unheard of.

Call me uninformed, because I am, but maybe we're getting contributions in other ways than the stat sheet, or at the very least, tangible progress from the reserves.

The guys we have are playing admirably. There just isn't options as you stare down the bench, until the blue team. This team has two dominant scorers. One an elite big, the other a sniper. It's been shown that they don't both have to be on, for us to win, but one better dominate, and the other will volume shoot and get sneaky numbers. Some days we shoot the 3 ball pretty well, other days not so well, but big Pap and Rob are the big dogs. We may run out of steam or maybe not, but its all we can do.

I bet Clink hits a few big shots before this is all done. It's a lot easier to put folks away when Clink is hot and he goes on runs. Haynes just doesn't shoot w/any confidence, which means you can't count on him on O.